Buvette: An American Brunch in Paris

A brunch bistro located in trendy SoPi (South Pigalle), Buvette brings a touch of New York’s Greenwich Village to Paris.

Buvette isn’t big—about a dozen tables, so reservation-free weekends often demand a wait, but you can take an espresso outside and sit by the geraniums.

The bar comprises a few stools at one end, but most of the space is commandeered by the stacks of blondies, all-butter scones and individual carrot cake pots at the other. It’s a breed of Parisian-NY hipster; with ye olde crates of fruit and vintage apple corers (to their credit, they are used), fine liquors and thick cotton napkins.

The waitstaff are smart, slightly coiffed and attentive without the overzealous tableside manner that might have stuck in other American imports. But of course, this is Paris.

I had dyed my hair a particularly vicious shade of carrot the night before (aforementioned cakes were only salt to the wound); and the after-effects of the bottle of Champagne that made my ‘transformation’ bareable, and even worse, the reality of having a fluoro mane, were settling in to nest.

It is testament to Buvette’s Croque Madame (layers of chive-infused Béchamel, paper-thin Serano ham and egg splodged atop) that I was alleviated from my hair sorrows for a full 15 minutes. It was good. So good, that I returned two weeks after to have the same.